In 2018, the British Council Latvia started a co-operation with the Riga Circus and the union of young actors KVADRIFRONS, creating the Theatrical Tour/ historical stories in the Riga Circus “Brīnuma skartie”. This play involves spectators, and is partly documentary that gives spectators a unique experience to participate in a tour at the Riga Circus.
During the performance, spectators go around with audio-guides available in Latvian, Russian and English.
The documentary files used in creating the play and interviews with former circus employees make it a multicultural and specific phenomenon of art.
To encourage people for a discussion on diversity and differences in our society, the topics discussed in the play will be used to involve young people from Rīga and regions in the next part of the project. 200 pupils of mixed groups will be invited after the performance to an event where they will participate in activity and will share their experiences on what they have witnessed at Riga Circus in an interactive way. A practical guide will be developed for project needs, another one for teachers of involved young people and for other potential teachers that will help to continue the conversation on the performance after watching it.
A nomination for the prize “Kg of Culture” as “Surprise of the year” proves artistic quality of the project, as well as spectators’ feedbacks and sold out performances: 57 performances, attracting 1140 spectators in one season.